Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-05-26
IRISH sERFDoM.

Er-reu.nta az Lord l.ands4owno Testify
to the Inhunan Policy Carried Out by
Laadsdowns, Through His Agents, on
Il His Irish Estates-Worse Tkan Negro
Slavery.
BUFFALO, N Y, May 1S-Learning that's
several ex-tenants of Lord Lansdowne
were residents of this city. United Press
reporter gathered from them this morn
ing what they assert is the true situation
among tenants on his lordship's estate;
Daniel d. Harnett comes from Kerry
County-'Lansdowne ridden Kerry, as
they call it," said he-where the greater
part of the Lansdowne estates are locat-
ed, and claims to know something about
how the poor tenants are treated by the
''Lansdowne leeches." 1.-THE Lansdowne
leases are the most outrageous compacts
in the whole of Ireland, and the tenants
must submit to them in every particular,
or be subject TO eviction They are en-
forced with cold-blooded and relentless
rigor, and keep the people under bondage
worse than was ever put upon slaves
The agents of Lansdowne keep constant
surveillance over the tenants. Should
family go to mass on Sunday a little clean
er or little better dressed than usual,
up went their rents. It's a crime on
the Lansdowne estate in the eyes of their
agents for a tenant to live a whit better
that a brute. No marriages are permit
ted without the consent of the agent;
and he dosen't al ways give consent. The
policy of the Lansdownes is to prevent
marriages because 1t increases the popu-
lation, and tends to cut up the farms into
small lots, and they don't want too many
people in their estates. The leases also
forbid tenants harboring poor people. d
violation of any of these provisions in the
least means eviction"
Edward Kelly says there were thirty
seven evictions in his neighborhood be-
fore he left, and they were accompanied
by most heartless actions. The evictors
took every thing, even down to the pot
sim mering on the stove with meal
Milk would be thrown on the ground to
waste, rather than the tenant should get
it. The rents were excessive, and whore
other landlords dropped fifteen to thirty
per cent, Lansdowne would reduce buS
five. The policy of Lansdowne has been
to exterminate the peasantry, and to.
bring Orangemen from the North to live
on the estates.
John Morau's father was evicted just
before John left ireland. He relates some
experiences during the great famine year.
He said people were starving on every
hand, and heartless landlords did nothing
to assist them.
Stephen Fealy saws Lansdowne is cursed
morning, noon and night by his Listowel
estate victims. Herod, he says. was an
innocent man in comparison with the
tyrant Lansdowne.
Thomas B. O'Bricn SAYS the cruelties
that prevail on the Lansdowne estates is,
unequalcd elsewhere in Ireland. An old
woman, aged eighty-six, was evicted, and
her sick daughter-in-law carried out on
the roadside. He says it was a pitiablS
sight to see the aged woman step to her
daughters side and say, ''Mavourneens
don't fret; cheer up. God will provide
for us" while the sheriff interrupted with
brutal "Hurry up and get out of here"
The Lansdowne estates in Kerry alone,
these tenants say, amount to neaS4T
twelve thousand acres.